The Best Herbs for Weight Loss

Many seasonings have medicinal properties, including the ability to increase metabolism, hasten calorie burn, suppress appetite and ease fluid retention. All you have to do to reap the benefits is to just add them (in small amounts at first) to your favorite recipes .Here's a few:

Garlic-A member of the onion family, garlic, like cayenne pepper, acts as a natural weight-loss aid by boosting body temperature and metabolism, which leads to increased calorie burn. Garlic also decreases levels of harmful LDL cholesterol in the blood. This helps prevent coronary artery disease and stroke.

Ginger is also known as ginger root. It affects the body like a stimulant, boosting metabolism and reducing toxin buildup in fat cells. Ginger is also an anti-lamasery, alleviating the pain and stiffness of arthritis.

Cayenne Pepper (Besides water, this is what hot sauce mostly consists of !) is a fiery condiment that does to the body what it does to your food-makes it really hot! As a result, your body works harder to cool you down, helping you to burn more calories and lose weight in the process.

Anise-A member of the parsley family, anise has a mild licorice flavor and is commonly used in salads and baked goods. Like parsley, anise is a diuretic, ridding the body of excess water weight.

Mustard Seed contains the benefits of parsley and cayenne pepper. It discourages fluid retention and raises body temperature, increasing the body's fat burning ability and boosting your metabolic rate.

Parsley-This herb has a distinct grassy flavor and is a rich source of vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. Parsley acts as a diuretic, and adding iron to tomato or carrot juice will help your body shed excess fluid , and therefore, pounds.

Multi-tasking Condiments

Mustard can be regular golden yellow, Dijon, or even whole-grain. It can be stirred into quiches, sauces, casseroles and sautéed greens. Slather it into: pork roast, chicken and fish steaks.

Jams and Marmalades can be stirred into: salsas, scones, pie fillings, smoothies and sweet-and-sour-stir-frys. Slather it into: biscuits (before baking!), chicken roasts, pound cake and fish fillets.

Ketchup: Get more tomato flavor out of-and into-your tomato dishes with this particular condiment. You can stir this into: soup, pasta sauce, Bloody Mary mix, sauces and salad dressing. Slather it into: barbecue, meatloaf and omelettes.

Prepared Pesto: An all-in-one item! This can be stirred into: salad dressings, mashed potatoes, pasta dishes, creamy soups and stews. Slather it into: meats, seafood, poultry, roasted vegetables, pizza crust and Italian bread.